Egg-preserving apparatus



7 (No Model.)

E. H. LAYM-AN. EGG PRB'SERVING APPARATUS. 1

No. 517,463. Patented Apr. 3, 1894.

rrsn STATES PATENT FFICE.

ESTES H. LAYMAN, OF DES MOINES, IOWA.

EGG-PRESERVING APPARATUS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 517,463, dated April 3, 1894. Application filed April 17, 1893, Serial No. 470,587. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ESTES H. LAYMAN, a citizen of the United States of America, residing at Des Moines, in the county of Polk and State of Iowa, have invented an Improved Apparatus for Handling and Preserving Eggs, of which the following is a specification.

The object of my invention is to provide a simple, cheap and durable crate having a pl urality of egg drawers therein, so arranged that every egg in the drawer may be turned by moving a frame Within each drawer and to provide means whereby a number of crates may be placed in longitudinal alignment and the frames within the drawers connected with each other so as to be moved simultaneously and to construct the crate so that a number of them may be placed the one above the other and held in position with all of the drawers therein locked.

With these ends in view my invention consists in details in the construction, arrangement and combination of parts as hereinaf- .ter set forth, pointed out in my claims, and

illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is afront view of two crates placed the one above the other, with a portion of a third, shown above thesecond in dotted lines and one or more egg drawers shown placed within the frame 0 and in position, in each. Fig. 2 is a top or plan view of one of the drawers, anda portion of a second one placed in proximity to one end thereof with the sliding frames coupled together. Fig. 3 isa longitudinal vertical sectional view of a modified form of drawer, and Fig. 4 is aside View of one of the crates and aportion of a second one placed thereupon, parts being broken away to show the position of the drawers, 85c.

Referring to the accompanying drawings the crate is seen to be composed of the thin side pieces A, A, the vertical braces A on the outside thereof, the cross pieces A secured to the ends of the uprights A on'the top and bottom of the crate, thelongitudinal supports A at the bottom of the interior of the crate to support the egg drawers and the longitudinal strips A at the top and the bottom of the crate so arranged that when two crates are placed on top of each other said strips will engage each other and prevent alateral movement of the crates relative to each other.

The drawers are composed of the rectangular frames B having the top edge of their end pieces somewhat lower than the top edges of the sides for purposes hereinafter set forth and their bottoms formed of the wire netting B said drawers being of such a size as to fit into the crates and to be placed therein with their side pieces resting upon each other. A frame 0 rectangular in shape and having a cross piece in its central portion and open at its top and bottom, is placed upon the bottom B of the frame B, to be capable of a slight longitudinal movementrelative thereto. This frame 0 is filled with egg cells C which are preferably composed of paste board and loosely placed in said frame 0, the cells being of a size and shape adapted to admit an egg and allow it to rest upon the bottom B of the frame B so that when the frame 0 is moved longitudinally in the frame B, the eggs will be turned.

D designates a link-adapted to enter bores in the end piece of the drawer and in the end piece of the frame 0 so as to hold the frame immovable within the drawer or to couple it with a like frame within a drawer in proximity thereto as clearly shown'in Fig. 2.

F designates a rod adapted to be extended through the crate, and the end of each drawer within the crate, and when a number of crates are piled upon each other, to be extended through all of them and hold them in position relative to each other and lock the drawers therein.

In practical use, a number of crates are placed upon each other in a suitable storage room, the cells in the drawers filled with eggs and the drawers placed in the crates and resting upon each other, asecond lot of crates is then placed at one end of the first and filled with egg drawers in a like manner, the sliding frames within the egg drawers are then connected by means of the links D, (the end portions of the egg drawers being lower than the sides to permitthis.) It will now be seen that a. storage room may be completely filled with the crates and if access is had thereto at one end all of the eggs therein may be easily turned by sliding the frames in the said end longitudinally within the drawers, it being a well known fact that a frequent turning of eggs adds to their keeping qualities.

In the modified form of egg drawer shown in Fig. 3 the drawer or frame Bis open at its top and bottom and has the cross pieces H at the under side to support the sliding frame. (3 designates the sliding frame within the drawer l3 and provided with a bottom H of of wire netting. H are cross pieces fixed to the drawer B and extended transversely above the sliding fratne C. C designates the egg cells loosely placed on the bottom H of the frame 0 and arranged so as to not quite fill up the spaoein the frame 0 so that a longitudinal movement of the frame 0 will cause the bottom H to be moved and the cells C be held stationary, to turn the eggs contained therein.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States therefor, is-

1. A crate for storing and shipping eggs, comprising a suitable rectangular frame or box, a number of sliding drawers therein adapted to contain eggs, longitudinal strips secured to the top and bottom of the frame or box to mate with like strips secured to contiguous boxes to prevent lateral movements of the frames or boxes relative to each other, and a rod adapted to be extended through the frame or box and said drawers, substantially as, and for the purposes, stated.

2. An improved apparatus for handling and turning eggs comprising a crate formed of the parts A, A A and A, the longitudinal strips A secured to the top and bottom of the crate to prevent the lateral movement of two crates relative to each other when placed the one above the other, the egg drawer composed of the parts B, B 0 and G a link detachably secured to the part 0 and adapted to be attached to a like part of a contiguous egg drawer, as set forth, and a rod F adapted to be extended vertically through the crate and all of the egg drawers therein for the purposes stated.

ESTES H. LAYMAN.

\Vitnesses:

J. RALPH ORWIG, THOMAS G. ORWIG. 

